Characteristics of referral to a multidisciplinary palliative home care team.
BACKGROUND
Until now, in Belgium at least, no scientific information has been available about which patients are referred to multidisciplinary palliative home care teams (MHCT) and by which caregivers, nor about timing of referral and factors associated with it.


METHODS
A prospective cohort study was carried out during a nine-month period in the oldest Flemish MHCT, and included all patients for whom a palliative care trajectory had been initiated.


RESULTS
In total, 325 patients (54% male, mean age 71 years, 83% cancer patients) were referred: 25% by their GP, 24% by hospital social workers, and 22% by the patient's family. Median timing of referral was 26 days (IQR 8-78) before death. Patients of 75 years or older were more likely to have been referred later by comparison with younger patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Timely referral to a MHCT seems to be difficult and not equal for all patients. Referral timing varies largely by age groups and diseases.
Drieskens
Katrien
K
End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
Bilsen
Johan
J
Van Den Block
Lieve
L
Deschepper
Reginald
R
Bauwens
Sabien
S
Distelmans
Wim
W
Deliens
Luc
L
D017677:Age Distribution; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D002423:Cause of Death; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration*; D018579:Patient Selection; D024382:Professional Role; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012042:Registries; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013997:Time Factors